We live in “exponential times.” According to research completed by the United Nations, it took 38 years for radio to reach a market audience of 50 million. Television achieved that same level of market acceptance in just 13 years. The Internet took four years; the iPod, MySpace and Facebook have taken even less time to become a part of our culture.
The number of monthly Google search engine inquiries was 2.7 billion just two years ago. Currently, those monthly inquiries exceed 31 billion.
It is an interesting point to consider: What was the source of our information in those not-so-distant, pre-Google days?
As information becomes more readily available and delivery methods change, what is the appropriate response of a great liberal arts college to the explosion in digital technology? For William Jewell, the appropriate response is innovation.
For centuries, the college library has been the academic heart of a vibrant scholarly community. Yet today we find that the library of the past is ineffective in accommodating the accelerated pace of learning. A learning center at a top liberal arts college must be as diverse, as energized and as technologically advanced as its students.
“The past several years have brought revolutionary changes in library services, rapid evolution of computerized information processing and shifts in how students learn,” said Dr. David Sallee, President of William Jewell College. “We envision a new kind of library that will serve as the heart of intellectual life on campus, a center of vital technology and a collaborative learning space where students and faculty will engage one another and the issues of the day.”
William Jewell promises students a richness and depth of experience to prepare them for a life of leadership and service. To uphold that promise, the College will create a place of inquiry and collaboration that reflects the times in which we live.
“We are designing a new facility that can serve as a marketplace of ideas and live as a prominent symbol of the intellectual vision that one should expect to find at the nation’s top liberal arts institutions,” says Dr. Sallee.
The explosion of digital technology and multimedia communication has revolutionized the way information is stored, transmitted and accessed. Adding computers and sophisticated search engines is just the beginning of what’s needed to help Curry Library emerge as a modern learning destination. The enhanced facility will support:
• A wireless environment for both scholastic and personal use
• Video conferencing facilities to accommodate large groups
• A presentation rehearsal studio for students and faculty
• Media production resources for multi-media projects, media viewing and the development of digital classroom materials
• Spaces for faculty colloquiums, campus and community lectures and casual conference space that can be converted to an independent student lab
• Training labs for faculty and students to keep them current with software and hardware developments
• Faculty resources to support a growing culture of faculty research
• Comfortable and flexible spaces that invite conversation and comfort
In addition to putting the world’s information resources directly into the hands of the campus community, this project will allow Jewell to showcase and give prime space to emerging centers of excellence. These centers will drive collaboration, mentoring, creativity, entrepreneurial behavior and dynamic research of complex issues. We anticipate that the Center for Justice and Sustainability and the Center for Applied Critical Thought and Inquiry will find a prominent home as the program plan unfolds.
Leadership Gifts
To date, Jewell has secured $7 million in pledges toward the $15 million capital project. The College is grateful to two Kansas City foundations that have provided significant support for this project, affirming the College’s vision as reflected through its strategic plan. The plan is focused on providing students with the resources and experiences found at the nation’s very best liberal arts colleges.
The Hall Family Foundation has pledged $6 million toward the project and will provide its gift after the College raises an additional $6 million in capital funds and $6 million in faculty development funds. The William T. Kemper Foundation has pledged $1 million to the project.
The College is actively fundraising to secure the requisite funds to complete the project. The naming rights to this new hall for inquiry and collaboration are available to those interested in structuring a transformational gift commitment to William Jewell College. For more information on the project, contact Chad Jolly, Vice President for Institutional Advancement at 816-415-7570, or jollyc@william.jewell.edu. |
